1. Technical Field
This invention relates to vent assemblies, and more particularly to a component soffit vent apparatus.
2. Discussion
A variety of vent apparatuses are typically used in residential and commercial dwellings to allow ventilation of attics and other interior areas of the dwelling. In the past, with the bathroom areas of dwellings, it was common to vent air exhausted from a bathroom via a bathroom fan through duct work into an attic or other like area of a dwelling, and to allow the exhausted air to escape to the external environment through one or more roof vents or soffit vents associated with the roof of the dwelling.
Recently, building codes have been amended to require the air exhausted via a bathroom fan to be exhausted through an independent, dedicated vent. Hence, it is no longer permissible in many cities to vent air exhausted from a bathroom exhaust fan directly into an attic of the dwelling.
While various vent apparatuses exist which may be attached to an exterior surface of the dwelling such as a soffit and communicate with an exhaust fan disposed within one of the rooms of the dwelling, such apparatuses have often been somewhat cumbersome to install, expensive, or have added to the complexity of installing vinyl or aluminum siding in the area surrounding that where the vent apparatus is placed. In addition, many previously developed vent apparatuses are not easily suited to be retrofitted to existing dwellings when an additional interior exhaust fan is added to the dwelling that necessitates an independent vent for dedicated use therewith.
Accordingly, it is a principal object of the present invention to provide a soffit vent apparatus for use with an interior exhaust fan of a building such as a dwelling, which may be easily and quickly secured to an exterior surface of the dwelling such as a soffit.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a soffit vent apparatus which includes two component parts, one of which may be secured directly to an exterior surface of a building such as a soffit thereof, and the second part of which may be quickly and easily secured to the first part without the need for additional external fasteners or complicated assembly steps.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a soffit vent apparatus which may be positioned on a horizontally extending soffit of a building such as a dwelling, or alternatively, positioned on a vertically extending exterior surface of a building, to enable the exhausting of air from an interior exhaust fan of the building.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a soffit vent apparatus which is well-suited to enabling the exhausting of air from an interior exhaust fan of a building, and which further is of a construction which enables it to be secured to an exterior surface of the building without complicating the addition of vinyl or aluminum siding to the areas immediately adjacent the vent apparatus.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a soffit vent apparatus which is relatively inexpensive and easily constructed from conventional molding techniques, which is light-weight, resists weathering and the elements, and which may be installed on an exterior surface of the building with conventional fastening elements such as nails or wood screws.
The above and other objects are provided by a soffit vent apparatus in accordance with the preferred embodiments of the present invention. The apparatus comprises a base member having a securing flange and an attaching portion. The securing flange includes one or more openings for enabling the securing flange to be secured to an exterior surface of a building via conventional nails or wood screws. The attaching portion includes an opening of a suitable diameter to communicate with duct work associated with an exhaust fan disposed within an interior room of the building. One or more locking portions are also formed on the attaching portion.
An independent cover member is releasably securable to the base member via one or more securing members. The securing members preferably protrude from an interior surface of the cover member and interengage with the one or more locking portions of the base member to hold the cover member to the base member in spaced-apart relationship to enable exhaust air exiting the opening in the base member to pass out to the exterior environment between the base member and the interior of the cover member. The cover member is preferably of dimensions which enable it to completely cover the base member, thereby providing a decorative appearance and concealing the fastening elements securing the base member to the exterior surface of the building.
In a preferred embodiment, the attaching portion includes an uppermost surface having a generally square-shape and a plurality of corner portions sloping downwardly towards the securing flange. The downwardly sloping corner portions provide further clearance between the cover member and the base member when the cover member is secured to the base member, thereby enhancing the ease with which air may be exhausted through the opening, between the base member and the cover member, and to the external environment.
In a preferred embodiment, the attaching portion of the base member further includes a plurality of locking portions, with each locking portion including a plurality of integrally formed shoulder portions. In this preferred embodiment, a plurality of securing members are formed on an interior surface of the cover member. Each securing member comprises a flexible latching arm which is releasably engageable with an associated shoulder portion on the base member. The latching arms and the shoulder portions thus allow the cover member to be adjustably positioned in spaced-apart relationship to the base member to provide an adjustable degree of clearance between the cover member and the base member.
In another preferred embodiment, the cover member includes a central portion and an angled peripheral portion. The peripheral portion is preferably angled such that it slopes downwardly towards the securing flange of the base portion. The peripheral portion includes a plurality of ventilation slots to even further increase the ease with which air may be exhausted to the exterior environment.
In an alternative preferred embodiment, the soffit vent apparatus comprises a base member which is securable to the exterior of a building over an opening in the exterior surface of the building. A screen is releasably secured to a portion of the base member. A cover member is releasably secured to the base member in spaced-apart relationship to the screen so as to enclose the screen. The screen prevents the entry of relatively small insects and other small mammals into the opening of the building.
In the just-described alternative preferred embodiment, the base member further includes a cylindrical member secured to the base member so as to protrude toward the opening in the building. The cylindrical member is of a diameter sufficient to accept duct work having a diameter up to at least about four inches. If duct work having a diameter of less than four inches is to be covered by the apparatus, then the apparatus is able to be used with an adapter member for mating the cylindrical member to the duct work. Accordingly, through the use of the adapter member, the soffit vent can be used to communicate with duct work having a diameter approximately equal to that of the cylindrical member or less than the diameter of the cylindrical member.
In each of the preferred embodiments, the base member and the cover member are molded through conventional molding techniques, and preferably injection molded, from a thermoplastic. The base member and cover member each form light-weight, yet rigid and strong component parts which are resistant to corrosion and the elements, and further which will not splinter, crack or otherwise show visible signs of wear over prolonged periods of time.
The vent apparatus of the present invention further enables aluminum or vinyl siding to be more easily installed after the vent apparatus is secured to the exterior surface of the building. This is because the siding need not be cut to perfectly and completely cover the securing flange of the base member, since the cover member is preferably dimensioned such that it extends completely over the base member, thus concealing the entire securing flange. The vent apparatus is further retrofittable to an existing building which already has vinyl or aluminum siding thereon without requiring entire lengths of siding to be removed before securing the base member to the exterior surface of the building.